Beaches are social-ecological systems that provide several services improving human well-being. However, as one of the major coastal interfaces they are subject to plastic pollution, one of the most significant global environmental threats at present. For the first time for Uruguayan beaches, this study assessed and quantified the accumulation of plastic and microplastic debris on sandy beaches of the major touristic destination Punta del Este during the austral spring of 2013. Aiming to provide valuable information for decision-making, we performed a detailed analysis of plastic debris, their eventual transport pathways to the coast (from land and sea), and the associated persistent pollutants. The results indicated that the smallest size fractions (<20 mm) were the dominant size range, with fragments and resin pellets as types with the highest number of items. PAHs and PCBs were found in plastic debris, and their levels did not differ from baseline values reported for similar locations. The abundance of plastic debris was significantly and positively correlated with both the presence of possible land-based sources (e.g. storm-water drains, beach bars, beach access, car parking, and roads), and dissipative beach conditions. The analysis of coastal currents suggested some potential deposition areas along Punta del Este, and particularly for resin pellets, although modeling was not conclusive. From a local management point of view, the development and use of indices that allow predicting trends in the accumulation of plastic debris would be critically useful. The time dimension (e.g. seasonal) should also be considered for this threat, being crucial for locations such as Uruguay, where the use of beaches increases significantly during the summer. This first diagnosis aims to generate scientific baseline, necessary for improved management of plastic litter on beaches and their watersheds.

Many populations of bat species across the globe are declining, with chemical contamination one of many potential stressors implicated in these demographic changes. Metals still contaminate a wide range of habitats, but the risks to bats remain poorly understood. This study is the first to present a national scale assessment of toxic metal (Cd, Pb) and essential trace metal (Cu, Zn) concentrations in bats. Metal concentrations in tissues (kidneys, liver, stomach -stomach content, bones and fur) were measured in 193 Pipistrellus sp. in England and Wales using ICP-MS, and compared to critical toxic concentrations for small mammals. The concentrations of metals determined in bat tissues were generally lower than those reported elsewhere. Strong positive associations were found between concentrations in tissues for a given metal (liver and kidneys for Cd, Cu and Pb; stomach and fur and fur and bones for Pb), suggesting recent as well as long term exposure to these contaminants. In addition, positive correlations between concentrations of different metals in the same tissues (Cd and Zn, Cu and Zn, Cd and Pb, Pb and Zn) suggest a co-exposure of metals to bats. Approximately 21% of the bats sampled contained residues of at least one metal at concentrations high enough to elicit toxic effects (associated with kidney damage), or to be above the upper level measured in other mammal species. Pb was found to pose the greatest risk (with 7–11% of the bats containing concentrations of toxicological concern), followed by Cu (4–9%), Zn (0.5–5.2%) and Cd (0%). Our data suggest that leaching of metals into our storage matrix, formaldehyde, may have occurred, especially for Cu. The overall findings suggest that metal contamination is an environmental stressor affecting bat populations, and that further research is needed into the direct links between metal contamination and bat population declines worldwide.

Adverse health effects of heavy metals are a public health concern, especially lead may cause negative health impacts to human fetal and infantile development. The lead concentrations in Pakistani pregnant women's nails, used as a biomarker, were measured to estimate the lead exposure. Thirteen nail samples out of 84 nails analyzed contained lead higher than the concentration (13.6 μg/g) of the fatal lead poisoning case, raising the possibility of an external contamination. Eye cosmetics such as surma are recognized as one of the important sources of lead exposure in Pakistan. We collected in Pakistan 30 eye cosmetics made in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and western countries. As the metal composition analysis by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry revealed that some surma samples contained lead more than 96%, the surma might contaminate the nail specimen. Scanning electron microscopy observations showed that lead-containing surma consists of fine particle of galena (ore of lead sulfide) in respirable dust range (less than 10 μm). In addition, relative in vitro bioavailability of lead in the surma was determined as 5.2%. Thus, lead-containing surma consists of inhalable and bioavailable particles, and it contributes an increased risk of lead exposure. Moreover, the relationship between the surma and the lead-contaminated nails by lead isotope ratios analysis indicated the potential of lead contamination in nails by surma. These results suggest that lead in the nails was derived both from body burden of lead and external contamination by lead-containing surma. Therefore, nail is not suited as a biomarker for lead exposure in the countries where surma used, because we may overestimate lead exposure by surface lead contamination in the nail by surma.

Pharmaceuticals are a large group of substances that have been recognized as environmental contaminants in recent years. Research on the pharmaceutical fate in soils is currently limited or missing. In this study, three pharmaceuticals (atenolol (ATE), carbamazepine (CAR), and metoprolol (MET)) were introduced to soils and exposed for 61 day under aerobic conditions. Thirteen different soils were used in the study to increase the understanding of pharmaceutical behaviour in the soil matrix. Ten metabolites were detected and tentatively identified. Some of them, such as atenolol acid (AAC), carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide (EPC), 10,11-dihydrocarbamazepine (DHC), trans-10,11-Dihydro-10,11-dihydroxy carbamazepine (RTC), and metoprolol acid (MAC), were consequently confirmed using commercial reference standards. It was concluded that the aerobic conditions of the experiment determined the pharmaceutical degradation pathway of studied compounds in the soils. The different amounts/rates and degradation of the transformation products can be attributed to differences in the soil properties. ATE degraded relatively quickly compared with CAR, whereas MET degradation in the soils was unclear. The persistence of CAR and its metabolites, in combination with low CAR sorption, enable the transportation of CAR and its metabolites within soils and into the ground water. Thus, CAR may cause adverse effects on the environment and humans.

Carbon dioxide gas as a working gas produces a stable plasma-torch by making use of 2.45 GHz microwaves. The temperature of the torch flame is measured by making use of optical spectroscopy and a thermocouple device. Two distinctive regions are exhibited, a bright, whitish region of a high-temperature zone and a bluish, dimmer region of a relatively low-temperature zone. The bright, whitish region is a typical torch based on plasma species where an analytical investigation indicates dissociation of a substantial fraction of carbon dioxide molecules, forming carbon monoxides and oxygen atoms. The emission profiles of the oxygen atoms and the carbon monoxide molecules confirm the theoretical predictions of carbon dioxide disintegration in the torch. Various hydrocarbon materials may be introduced into the carbon dioxide torch, regenerating new resources and reducing carbon dioxide concentration in the torch. As an example, coal powders in the carbon dioxide torch are converted into carbon monoxide according to the reaction of CO2 + C → 2CO, reducing a substantial amount of carbon dioxide concentration in the torch. In this regards, the microwave plasma torch may be one of the best ways of converting the carbon dioxides into useful new materials.

This study aimed to investigate the oxidative stress process and bioaccumulation the racemic/(−)-/(+)- 2,2ʹ,3,4ʹ,6-pentachlorobiphenyl were administered to adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) after prolonged exposure of 56-days uptake and 49-days depuration experiments. Stereoselective accumulation was observed in adult samples after racemic exposure as revealed by decreased enantiomer fractions. The two enantiomers of PCB91 accumulated at different rates with logBCFk values close to 3.7, suggesting that they were highly hazardous and persistent pollutants. Exposure to racemic/(−)-/(+)- PCB91 stereoselectively induced oxidative stress owing to changes in reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde contents, antioxidant enzyme activities and gene expressions in brain and liver tissues. In addition, the stereoselective relationship between bioconcentration and oxidative stress were also presented in this study. Our findings might be helpful for elucidating the environmental risk of the two enantiomers of PCB91 that induce toxicity in aquatic organisms.

For the first time this study reports on the presence of microplastics (1 nm to <5 mm) in the gastrointestinal tracts of small semipelagic fish (Boops boops) in the Balearic Islands (Mediterranean Sea) from March to May 2014. The results show microplastic ingestion in 68% of full stomach samples with an average of 3.75 items per fish. Only filament type microplastics were observed in B. boops full gastrointestinal tracts. The frequency of occurrence of microplastics was high, with values ranging from 42% to 80%, in comparison to the other ingested items. Spatial variability among locations is high, which suggests that this type of contamination is ubiquitously distributed and originates from multiple sources. The results are important and indirectly provide further evidence of the presence of microplastics, which can be ingested by biota, in the marine environment.

Artificial light at night has been linked to a wide variety of physiological and behavioural consequences in humans and animals. Given that little is known about the impact of light pollution on sleep in wild animals, we tested how experimentally elevated light levels affected sleep behaviour of female songbirds rearing 10 day old chicks. Using a within-subject design, individual sleep behaviour was observed over three consecutive nights in great tits (Parus major), with females sleeping in a natural dark situation on the first and third night, whereas on the second night they were exposed to a light-emitting diode (1.6 lux). Artificial light in the nest box dramatically and significantly affected sleep behaviour, causing females to fall asleep later (95 min; while entry time was unaffected), wake up earlier (74 min) and sleep less (56%). Females spent a greater proportion of the night awake and the frequency of their sleep bouts decreased, while the length of their sleep bouts remained equal. Artificial light also increased begging of chicks at night, which may have contributed to the sleep disruption in females or vice versa. The night following the light treatment, females slept 25% more compared to the first night, which was mainly achieved by increasing the frequency of sleep bouts. Although there was a consistent pattern in how artificial light affected sleep, there was also large among-individual variation in how strongly females were affected. When comparing current results with a similar experiment during winter, our results highlight differences in effects between seasons and underscore the importance of studying light pollution during different seasons. Our study shows that light pollution may have a significant impact on sleep behaviour in free-living animals during the reproductive season, which may provide a potential mechanism by which artificial light affects fitness.

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) aims to protect human health and the environment from POPs through a range of measures aimed at reducing and ultimately eliminating their releases into the environment and subsequent human exposure. Article 16 of the Convention sets the basis for a mechanism to assess the success of the activities undertaken worldwide to implement the Convention. One of major pillars for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Convention is monitoring data obtained through the Global Monitoring Plan (GMP) for POPs.The implementation of the GMP over the last eleven years, since the entry into force of the Convention, shows how a global treaty such as the Stockholm Convention streamlined existing monitoring efforts and triggered harmonization and further development of a global monitoring network.In its initial stages, long term POPs monitoring programmes were available only in some parts of the globe. Over more than a decade of generation of harmonized, comparable monitoring data on 23 chemicals of global concern, a rich and extremely valuable dataset has been generated in the frame of the GMP. Long-term monitoring programmes have enlarged the scope of their activities to cover newly listed chemicals, and new programmes have emerged.Monitoring data are broadly shared through the GMP data warehouse, the Convention's clearing-house mechanism, and through other appropriate global tools. Through its global reach, the GMP contributes to the global chemicals and waste policy agenda, supports and triggers further research initiatives, and provides information to the general public at large.

This work characterizes levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor and outdoor air of preschool environments, and assesses the respective risks for 3–5-years old children. Eighteen gaseous and particulate (PM1 and PM2.5) PAHs were collected indoors and outdoors during 63 days at preschools in Portugal. Gaseous PAHs accounted for 94–98% of total concentration (ΣPAHs). PAHs with 5–6 rings were predominantly found in PM1 (54–74% particulate ΣPAHs). Lighter PAHs originated mainly from indoor sources whereas congeners with 4–6 rings resulted mostly from outdoor emissions penetration (motor vehicle, fuel burning). Total cancer risks of children were negligible according to USEPA, but exceeded (8–13 times) WHO health-based guideline. Carcinogenic risks due to indoor exposure were higher than for outdoors (4–18 times).